Arriving in Bangkok, for a two-year posting or a fortnight's holiday, reshuffles all the small practicalities of life, and finding a gynaecologist is often near the top of the list. The city is used to international patients, so the task is less finding a clinic than finding the right one for you.

Language matters more here than in almost any other appointment. Symptoms are described in fine detail: where exactly the pressure sits, whether leaking happens when you cough or when you cannot reach the bathroom in time. Such distinctions guide the diagnosis, and they are hard to convey by gesture or translation app. Consent matters too: you should understand what an examination involves before it begins, and be able to say stop. A treatment plan only helps if you have understood all of it.

Ask whether you need to be seen

Message us with what you are experiencing and we will tell you whether an examination is worth making, and what the appointment involves.

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Before booking, a few checks are worth five minutes. Ask whether the clinic is general or specialist, since one focused on women's urogynaecology and aesthetic gynaecology sees certain conditions daily rather than occasionally, and whether international patients are routine there rather than an exception. Ask too whether you can put questions before you arrive: a considered written reply tells you much about the consultation to come. THE FIT CLINIC answers questions on LINE @thefitbkk before you book.

At the first visit, bring your questions written down, because nerves make people forget. What do you think is causing this, and what else could it be? What would you like to examine, and why? What are my options, including waiting, and what is realistic over what timeframe? What are the risks and the recovery? A doctor comfortable being asked will answer plainly rather than hurry past.

Thailand does not require a referral, which surprises many new arrivals: no GP letter, no insurance gatekeeper between you and a specialist. THE FIT CLINIC is on the 8th Floor of EM Tower, EMSPHERE, 628 Sukhumvit Road, a short walk from BTS Phrom Phong, open daily 10:00 to 19:00, on +66 92 294 6555 or bkkgyne@gmail.com. Consultations are conducted in English or Thai; if you would prefer another language, an interpreter can be arranged in advance when you ask on LINE. If you have been putting this off, a first appointment is mostly conversation. Being understood is part of the care.